Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa today said the manner in which the members of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) behaved during the second reading of the budget were unacceptable.

A foreign national who managed to dupe several people by promising them employment opportunities in Italy has been arrested and remanded, sources at the Fraud Investigations Bureau said.

The Supreme Court today decided to take up the petition filed by General Sarath Fonseka against President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s appointment as President following the Presidential polls held in January this year.

A tense situation arose in Kiribathgoda last night after a relative of a youth who was taken custody, died while on his way to the police station. Police claim the man who was on his way to visit the youth in custody died of a heart-atta

Ishanka Madurasinghe was declared Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe 2010 during the Miss Sri Lanka finals held in Colombo a short while ago. Ishanka was among 12 contestants who were selected for the finals held late this evening.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mahinda Balasuriya has transferred the OIC of the Mattakuliya police station and his police officers pending an inquiry over the tense situation which arose in Mattakuliya since yesterday.

Tensions continued to prevail in the Mattakuliya area today after 20 suspects were taken into custody over the clash with the police last night with residents claiming that the police was now taking revenge.

Over 350 birds which nest in an island in the Senanayake Samudraya at Inginiyagala had died of unknown reasons within the past three days. Investigations are underway to identify the cause of the sudden death of the birds including crane

Sri Lanka’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Bandula Jayasekara has been recalled to Colombo just a few months after he was appointed to the post, External Affairs Ministry sources told Daily Mirror online.

Minister Wimal Weerawansa says he stands by the comment he made last week regarding the United Nation's office in Colombo and reiterated his call for the public to surround the building and protest against the UN panel.  AUDIO

Presidential advisor on Muslim Affairs Mohamed Niyaz Moulavi passed away this morning, the government information department said. President Rajapaksa appointed Niyaz Moulavi in 2008 as his Coordinating Secretary on Muslim Religious Affa

A tense situation arose in Mattakuliya late this evening between an angry mob and the Mattakuliya police. The incident arose after a suspected drug addict who was arrested by the police injured his arm while in police custody.

The second reading of the Budget for 2010 was passed in Parliament a short while ago with 138 Members of Parliament voting for it and 75 against while 11 members were absent.

A tanker truck filled with oil exploded and set fire to a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 200 people and injuring scores more, the Red Cross said Saturday.

Police are on the lookout for two Hong Kong nationals who had defrauded over Rs. 2 million from locals after promising 40% -60% in interest for their deposits but subsequently went missing without paying the depositors.

A token strike by university lecturers organised by the Federation of University Teachers Association will be held on July 27 in protest of ‘unfulfilled promises’ made by the government regarding university teacher’s salarie

At least 13 soldiers were injured following a road accident in the Kekirawa area and have been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment but police said they had no further details of the incident.

The government may tender an apology to the United Nations over comments made by Minister Wimal Weerawansa urging the public to surround the UN office in Colombo and prevent the staff from leaving the premises.

A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation is heading for India on Sunday to discuss the IDP situation as well as a political solution for the Tamil issue and is likely to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the tour.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Ravinatha Aryasingha says the European Commission had been “rather clumsy” in dealing with the GSP plus issue on Sri Lanka.

The government has obtained reports from its embassies over the operations of ‘Buddha Bars’ in the respective countries including its headquarters in Paris and is now contemplating appropriate action, External Affairs Ministry sources sai

Investigations are underway to apprehend three members of the same family who were Directors of an educational institute that had defrauded more than 20 people for over Rs. 2 million in cash promising education and job opportunities abroad.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa today urged MPs to strictly follow Standing Orders and refrain from character assassination especially because of the presence of school children in the public gallery.

The Mount Lavinia additional Magistrate today issued an arrest warrant on former Deputy Minister Myon Mustapha, who is reportedly out of the country, for failing to appear in Court in a bribery case.

At least 25 employees of a private establishment situated at the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Katunayaka have been hospitalized with suspected food poisoning, the police media unit said today.

Tamils groups from the US and Britain have met with the US Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp, and his staff at the Washington offices of the State Department this week

The Police are to file legal action against owners of hoardings containing indecent images in the city which were not removed despite a three week deadline which expired yesterday, police officials said

The European Union is attempting to establish contact with the Sri Lankan government over the GSP+ trade benefits to the country after the deadline by the EU for the government to respond to its conditions ended today  AUDIO

Marking a turning point in the Medical History of Sri Lanka, a team of local surgeons have succeeded in performing the first Liver Transplant in Sri Lanka. The liver belonged to a patient who was declared brain-dead.

The UNP Reforms Committee will meet today to finalize their report before it is handed over to Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasingha tomorrow, Committee Chairman Joseph Michael Perera said